The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given time, usually measured in bits per second.
Bandwidth is often compared to the width of a pipe: a wider pipe can carry more water at once. An internet plan advertised as 100 Mbps can, in theory, move up to 100 megabits of data per second.
Bandwidth is not the same as speed in the everyday sense. Latency measures how long data takes to travel, while throughput measures how much data actually gets through after congestion, errors, and overhead. A connection can have high bandwidth but still feel sluggish if latency is high, which matters for video calls and online gaming. Hosting companies and cloud providers may also use bandwidth to mean the total volume of data transferred, which affects pricing.
Technology that transmits data as pulses of light through thin strands of glass or plastic, enabling very high-speed communication.
JitterVariation in the time it takes data packets to arrive over a network, which can disrupt real-time audio, video, and gaming.
LatencyThe time delay between a request being sent and a response beginning to arrive, usually measured in milliseconds.
Mesh NetworkA network in which devices, or nodes, connect directly to multiple other nodes and relay data for each other.
Mesh Wi-FiA home or office Wi-Fi system that uses several linked access points to spread one strong, continuous wireless network across a whole space.
ThroughputThe actual amount of data or work a system successfully processes in a given period of time.
VoIPVoice over Internet Protocol, technology that carries phone calls over the internet instead of traditional telephone lines.
Wi-Fi 7The wireless networking standard based on IEEE 802.11be, designed for faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections.
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